How low can prices go on Q9xxx?

[elmer92413]

I've got myself a OC'd e2180, and I'm getting ready to upgrade my 6800gt to a 4850. I'd like to get a quadcore and then ride out the next generation until Westmere/Fusion. And I've been eying the q9550, but at $330 it's to much especially compared to the q6600. But how low do you think prices for Intel's Q9xxx series will get in the next couple of months. I'm hoping the Q9550 can at least get down to under $250. Think that's possible? Otherwise I might just end up with a faster duelcore or the q6600 until I can pick up a q9550 for under $250, whenever that is.

 

[WaitingForNehalem]

The Q9550 was for $280 at Frys. Although there is no point on investing again on another socket 775 system. What's wrong with the e2180?

 

[nerp]

e2180 @ 3.2 like I have is a great chip but those wolfdales have better power consumption and can achieve much higher clocks on lower voltages. Coupled with extra cache, it's hard not to own an e2180 or so and constantly feel the compulsion to sift over processors at newegg and start justifying spending something to swap in.

The e5300 looks fun just because it IS so cheap and can get to 3.6 almost guarenteed, 3.8 sometimes and 4 if you're lucky (and willing to go so high with volts.)

And then I think of tossing an e8400 in here and push 4ghz. That would be deadly, right?

I haven't even considered quads.

 

[elmer92413]

Originally posted by: WaitingForNehalem
The Q9550 was for $280 at Frys. Although there is no point on investing again on another socket 775 system. What's wrong with the e2180?

It doesn't have Intel's virtualization. And I don't want to upgrade my mobo until the earliest next winter when Intel will be moving to 32nm. And between now and then I will have need of virtual machines.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Beware, it looks like the inclusion of VT on the E5200 is a typo by Intel.

 

[elmer92413]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
Beware, it looks like the inclusion of VT on the E5200 is a typo by Intel.

Ya, I was a little surprised that it would be the only Duel Pentium with it.

 

[scheibler1]

I'm in the same situation. I've got an E2180 @ 3ghz that won't go past 3ghz. At 3ghz the e2180 is only equivilant to a stock e6700 at 2.6ghz. It's really holding my back with a GTX 260 oc'd.

I'm trying to decide if it would be better to get a Q6600 @ 3.0ghz or a E8400/E8500 @ 3.6ghz strictly for gaming over the next 1 1/2 years

 

[nyker96]

E5200 has no VT/SSE4.

 

[Zap]

If you want a 45nm quadcore for cheap, Frys has the Q8200 for $200 with a G31 chipset ECS board, but that chip is cache-crippled compared to Q9xxx. I think the Q6600 will outperform it though, for a similar price.

 

[soccerballtux]

Originally posted by: scheibler1
I'm in the same situation. I've got an E2180 @ 3ghz that won't go past 3ghz. At 3ghz the e2180 is only equivilant to a stock e6700 at 2.6ghz. It's really holding my back with a GTX 260 oc'd.

I'm trying to decide if it would be better to get a Q6600 @ 3.0ghz or a E8400/E8500 @ 3.6ghz strictly for gaming over the next 1 1/2 years

That doesn't sound right, nobody should be limited at that. What vcore do you run at? I go to 1.5075 for 3.4Ghz, and 1.54 for 3.5Ghz.

You can go to 1.5vcore and 73.2c (well, I go to 74c) and be within Intel's specs.

@OP-- I would rest easy for a bit, there's no point in upgrading now with our rigs. The q9550 prices will only come down, I plan on buying when it's about $150-200 or something, and then maybe another GPU then too, and I'll be good for a while.

 

[scheibler1]

Do you go by the vcore settings in the bios or cpu-z? I just messed around a bit....now I'm overclocked to 3.4ghz (340x10 w/ 2.0 ram multi). I'm not sure if its completely stable, but it did improve performance....I am definitely cpu bottlenecked even @ 1920x1200

 

[coldpower27]

A Q9550 will remain at the $316 price point till discontinued. As the Q9400 will remain $266 until discontinued. Outside of sales like $280 at Fry's which was mentioned...

Q6600 will drop down to $183 and Q8200 will drop down to $183 as well.

Intel has very few processors that are introduced at the top and actually drop to the bottom, the Q6600 was the only exception in recent history...

$851 -> $530 -> $266 -> $193 -> $183..

The price/performance of the Q6600 is hard to beat, even more so considering it's overclock potential.

 

[soccerballtux]

Originally posted by: scheibler1
Do you go by the vcore settings in the bios or cpu-z? I just messed around a bit....now I'm overclocked to 3.4ghz (340x10 w/ 2.0 ram multi). I'm not sure if its completely stable, but it did improve performance....I am definitely cpu bottlenecked even @ 1920x1200

CPU-z. Actually in CPU-z under load it's 1.48v.

What games are you CPU limited in, and how bad is it? I'll have to go check them out so I can upgrade

I was CPU limited in WoW in Shattrath, but didn't care if it was any faster....

 

[nerp]

The more I think about it, the more I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and get me an E8500 to replace my E2180.

 

[soccerballtux]

what kind of cooler do you have, if you're only at 1.36v now you should be able to push your oc higher.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: soccerballtux

Originally posted by: scheibler1
I'm in the same situation. I've got an E2180 @ 3ghz that won't go past 3ghz. At 3ghz the e2180 is only equivilant to a stock e6700 at 2.6ghz. It's really holding my back with a GTX 260 oc'd.

I'm trying to decide if it would be better to get a Q6600 @ 3.0ghz or a E8400/E8500 @ 3.6ghz strictly for gaming over the next 1 1/2 years

That doesn't sound right, nobody should be limited at that. What vcore do you run at? I go to 1.5075 for 3.4Ghz, and 1.54 for 3.5Ghz.

You can go to 1.5vcore and 73.2c (well, I go to 74c) and be within Intel's specs.

@OP-- I would rest easy for a bit, there's no point in upgrading now with our rigs. The q9550 prices will only come down, I plan on buying when it's about $150-200 or something, and then maybe another GPU then too, and I'll be good for a while.

The previous E2200 that I had in a friend's machine barely went to 3.1Ghz, and it wasn't stable. Settled for 2.93Ghz. You have a good chips. Others, not so lucky.

 

[soccerballtux]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry

Originally posted by: soccerballtux

Originally posted by: scheibler1
I'm in the same situation. I've got an E2180 @ 3ghz that won't go past 3ghz. At 3ghz the e2180 is only equivilant to a stock e6700 at 2.6ghz. It's really holding my back with a GTX 260 oc'd.

I'm trying to decide if it would be better to get a Q6600 @ 3.0ghz or a E8400/E8500 @ 3.6ghz strictly for gaming over the next 1 1/2 years

That doesn't sound right, nobody should be limited at that. What vcore do you run at? I go to 1.5075 for 3.4Ghz, and 1.54 for 3.5Ghz.

You can go to 1.5vcore and 73.2c (well, I go to 74c) and be within Intel's specs.

@OP-- I would rest easy for a bit, there's no point in upgrading now with our rigs. The q9550 prices will only come down, I plan on buying when it's about $150-200 or something, and then maybe another GPU then too, and I'll be good for a while.

The previous E2200 that I had in a friend's machine barely went to 3.1Ghz, and it wasn't stable. Settled for 2.93Ghz. You have a good chips. Others, not so lucky.

e2200 is older tech than the e21x0 series. Nearly all e21x0s are guaranteed for 3.2Ghz at least-- 8x400 on the e2140. I think some people just aren't willing to push the volts for some reason. With adequate cooling (keeping it <74C), there's nothing wrong with 1.5v AFAICT.

 

[scheibler1]

Well I'm running stable @ 3.33ghz(333x10). I don't know if I'm gonna upgrade. If I do I am going to get the quad core I think instead of the E8500 cause I'd rather have a Q6600 @ 3.0-3.6ghz then a E8500 @ 3.6ghz.